Landscaping application evaluation of wild ground cover resources in Yulin

Wild ground cover resources in the Hengshan, Suide, and Jia counties of Yulin City were investigated using a sample method, and an evaluation system for wild ground cover was established using the analytic hierarchy process (APH) to expand the ground cover species of landscaping in the arid regions of northern Shaanxi. The results showed that there were 47 species of wild ground cover in the loess arid region, most of which were Gramineae (14 species) and Compositae (7 species). The criterion layer of the evaluation system comprised garden ornamental value (weight value = 0.334), ecological adaptability (weight value = 0.525), and protection function (weight value = 0.141). The element layer included 17 evaluation indices, among which those with higher weight values were stress resistance (0.219), difficulty level of propagation (0.141), growth potential (0.101), growth period (0.077), root growth (0.071), and distribution range (0.064). Finally, 9 species with excellent groundcover in grade Ⅰ, 12 species with good groundcover in grade Ⅱ, 13 species with average groundcover in grade Ⅲ, and 13 species with poor groundcover in grade Ⅳ were selected. The evaluation system accurately reflects the characteristics of wild ground cover resources in Yulin and provides a reference for the selection and application of local ground cover resources.